Revelation 2:12-17

¹² And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; ¹³ I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. ¹⁴ But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. ¹⁵ So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. ¹⁶ Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. ¹⁷ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

A. W. Tozer once gave a diagnosis of the thinking of certain professing Christians that is very appropriate for our time when he said, “A new Decalogue has been adopted by the neo-Christians of our day. ‘Thou shalt not disagree,’ and a new set of Beatitudes too, ‘Blessed are they that tolerate everything for they shall not be made accountable.’” What Tozer described in that statement is an attitude of compromise. Trying to achieve unity or peace by compromising the truth accomplishes neither unity nor peace. It always leads to disaster. The church at Pergamum was a church situated in a context that was totally antagonistic to their faith in just about every way imaginable. From emperor worship, the worship of Greek and Roman gods, and the Asklepios cult that practiced medicine on the outside, to the internal influence of false teaching inside the church, the church at Pergamum faced great opposition while trying to remain faithful to Christ. We will find in the letter that Jesus had sent to them that it was a church that faced persecution and false teaching and some of its members had begun to succumb to the threats and buy into the lies. They had compromised. What did Jesus have to say to a compromising church? What are you and I to do today to overcome and avoid it? There are four things for us to consider that can be drawn out of this passage.

First, we learn that we are called to pursue the divine standard of God’s Word. The city of Pergamum is the modern-day city of Bergamo, Turkey. It was the capitol of Asia Minor and was known for its extensive library of over 200,000 handwritten volumes. It was the first city of the region to officially encourage emperor worship and would build a few temples dedicated to different emperors. In addition, one would find the Asklepios cult and the famous school of medicine as well as a magnificent altar built to Zeus. As afar as the church’s founding, we don’t have it recorded in Scripture, but it was likely founded by extension of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:10). When Jesus addressed them, He identified Himself as the One “which hath the sharp sword with two edges.” This reference is found throughout the New Testament as a reference to God’s Word (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12-13; Revelation 19:15, 21). God’s Word is depicted as a “sword” because of its penetrating power. This church lived under heavy Roman influence. The Romans could bear the sword on earth, but Christ reminded them that the ultimate, most powerful sword is His Word. He reminded a church dealing with compromise where their true standard was found and to what they would be held accountable. Every church has the primary responsibility of being faithful to God’s Word above all other commitments.

Next, we find that we must realize the difficult circumstances of serving Christ in this world. Before addressing the issues in the church, Christ identified their situation. They were in a difficult place. They dwelt “where Satan’s seat is.” Despite that, most of the church had remained faithful and Jesus highlighted one individual (Antipas) who died as a martyr. Note that the church was mostly faithful in a hostile environment. Much debate has been had over exactly what “Satan’s seat” is a reference to. It could be the temples that were built to emperors. It could be a reference to the Asklepios cult whose identifying symbol was a snake twisted up a pole. (The devil was first pictured in Scripture as a serpent and described in Revelation 12:9 as “that old serpent.”) It could be a reference to the large altar to Zeus that was 18-40 feet high on its different platforms, was in the shape of a horseshoe that measured 112 feet by 120 feet, and was magnificently decorated with depictions of wars fought by the gods. It’s possible that it is not clear because Christ had all of these things in view. Satan is “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and opposes the people of God through all forms of false religion and wicked rulers. You and I must recognize that we have been sent out into this world, not to be comfortable, but “as sheep in the midst of wolves” (Matthew 10:16) with the promise that our Lord will be with us (Matthew 28:20).

Thirdly, we must recognize the dangerous consequences of wavering from our commitment to Christ. Despite its overall faithfulness in the midst of difficulty, Jesus addressed an underlying issue that the church had. There were those in the church who held to “the doctrine of Balaam” and “the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes” to which Jesus said “I hate.” What was the teaching He addressed here? Both Balaam and the Nicolaitanes led God’s people to compromise with sexual immorality and idolatry. In the Old Testament, Balaam could not put a curse on Israel so he led Balak, the King of Moab, to get the Moabite women to entice the Jews into committing sexual immorality with them and violate the law of God, thus bringing punishment upon Israel. The Nicolaitanes taught a form of compromised Christianity in which Christians could participate with the sins of the culture around them. They taught that Christians could worship Christ, but participate in the idolatry and immorality of the culture so that they were not persecuted and cut off from being able to participate in society, earn a living, etc. We face the same type of false teaching and compromise today whenever we are tempted to be like the world in order to reach the world. Churches are embracing false doctrines of the prosperity gospel, homosexuality in membership and leadership, and many forms of New Age beliefs that are driving their theology (such as word of faith theology). Such compromise inevitably destroys a church and robs it of its witness to the true gospel of Christ. It may be loved and accepted by the world around us and by false professors who want their ears tickled and flesh fed, but Jesus hates it. It may draw large crowds and “win” numbers of people, but it ultimately has no power to impact the lost world. It is for this reason that Jesus told the church at Pergamum to “Repent” or they would face “the sword of” His “mouth.” It is a promise that compromise will be judged by Him. He would bring to bear the standard of His Word in judgment. Compromise always seeks to lower the standard. In ecumenicism and attempts at unity, churches have lowered their standards to the least common denominator. This has proven disastrous. It always leads to error, sin, and compromise. Our standard will always be God’s Word and God’s Word never changes. If we find ourselves changing our standards or lowering them, we have gone awry. The way to act in true unity and achieve true peace is to pursue the standard of His Word and lock arms with any who are going in that same direction. They are never achieved by reducing truth.

Lastly, we must look forward to the reward promised for faithful worship. To those who would overcome and remain faithful to Him, Jesus promised several things. First, He promised the “hidden manna,” a reference to the manna that was put inside the ark of the covenant. The ark is lost on earth, but He refers to the heavenly promise here of being in His presence. Next, He promised “a white stone.” Some suggest that this refers to the Urim and Thummim used by the high priest in the Old Testament to reveal God’s will for His people to the high priest (Exodus 28:15; Leviticus 8:8; Numbers 27:21; Deuteronomy 33:8). This was given only to the high priest who was the only person with access to the Holy of Holies where the ark of the covenant was and where the hidden manna was stored. It would thus describe a sort of key into Christ’s presence in heaven. The better understanding is perhaps that the “white stone” refers to the Roman practice of awarding white stones that would have the names of victorious athletes or gladiators, who had won their competition or freedom, inscribed on them. This stone would serve as a ticket that allowed a victor special access to events and dinners. The reference to the “new name” was something that came with adoption in those times. Jesus’s promise is not only access to His presence, but belonging in His family. Faithful worship is met with the greatest of rewards. We are given access to Christ’s presence and adopted into His eternal family. Why would we settle for anything less?

Compromise is a killer. We find that as we go forward in the seven letters that the next church, Thyatira, will tolerate what some had compromised with in Pergamum. That would lead to the next church, Sardis, which was known for being “dead.” That is where unchecked compromise leads. Notice that it was not the whole church. In fact, most of the church at Pergamum was faithful, but like a cancer or disease it inevitably spreads and will corrupt the whole body if not dealt with. That calls each of us to examine our hearts and lives for compromise, both doctrinal and moral. Like Eliashib in Nehemiah who was faithful to serve with God’s people, but had allegiances to Israel’s enemies and brought a terrible corrupting influence into the congregation, so too can the compromises of one believer with false doctrine or sinful living from the world around us destroy an entire congregation. Pursue the standard of God’s Word. Realize the difficult circumstances of this world. Recognize the dangerous consequences of wavering. Look forward to the reward of faithful worship.